viva verde

for the past 2+ days i have been trying to survive a nasty flu. Mind you, i rarely never get sick…and if i do, it is usually right after the holidays (after a 20-hour/7 day a week/ 2 month holiday season). But this has disabled me until now, 11pm in which i am already feeling tired after typing the past few lines….

So my point: in my fevered state, i listened to NPR and heard about the new costs as a result of the fuel crunch-Extra Baggage. Yes, many of the big airline companies are charging around $15 for your first check-in luggage item on domestic and even international flights (and higher costs for more, no doubt). People are pissed and writing about it.

Me?- I thought they always did that…

For those who know me, I have always traveled (domestic or international), with the shirt on my back and a smile that i was going some place different. Maybe a bag with “bare-necessities” that could get me out of a bind: Lonely Planet book, chopsticks, sleep-sack, basic meds for a bad food experience, journal & pen, a few photos of home, good book that i like reading A LOT, tampons, and the FEW other things that were so needed that the chore of getting them in the “new place” would take up more time than being there.

Most “things” can be purchased anywhere. And sure they are not going to “be” like the one at home, but that kind of makes you experience the place, and heck, you are going home eventually so suck-it-up!

but just in case, i found this great site that can help you measure your belongings and help you figure out what you cannot live without.

OK have to go back to bed, so tired…

I am still getting over the shock of GM closing 4 of their truck-making plants…the looming (and already here!) fuel crunch has resulted in a 40% drop in over the past year for GM stock.

what is GM to do??  the shocker: get on the bandwagon and start making fuel-efficient/hybrid vehicles! and according to someone who who manages more than $700 million in assets, “they’re launching more hybrids this year than any other company”. this is probably going to happen in 2 years (when there are plenty of other makers doing the same thing-go innovation GM!)
so am i happy?? YES!  all together now:

oil is a finite energy source and we will try to behave like it is!

i just can’t wrap my mind around how behind GM is, and to be honest, i am embarrassed.  maybe it’s me-I’m no corporate exec/automotive expert/market annalist, but it doesn’t take 2 seconds to realize that oil is not going to last.  It makes me mad that these “experts” at GM have jeopardized hundreds if not thousands of employees b/c they wanted to make a fast buck.  funny, in this article, i also read:

  “Our goal is not just to return GM to profitability, but to structure GM globally for sustained profitability and growth[…]”

what ever happened to just being SUSTAINABLE??? if they just did that, they could be like Toyota, Honda, or some others who have been thinking/doing this for, well more than just the past year.

spend your $$ wisely people.

so in the part of the long excuses that i will be telling of why i havent been posting for a while is my travels to GreenFest in SF (which, by the way, i LOVED mega-bus! the best mode of transport!)

i have been to GreenFest in the past and i have to say that this year, the green movement has very much taken hold. i usually want to go when it is slow, so i took advantage of the friday opening…Big Mistake! even one of my friends had to leave early because it was too crowded for her! but knowing that i had to leaving the next day, i braved the crowds and went for it.

it is funny, when i went before, i always was so quite….never talked or even knew a soul. it was kind of funny to actually recognize people and give hugs and chat with the amazing vendors there that i so admire for paving the way. One of which i have been wanting to meet: Teresa from Texture Clothing we love her line at the store and her skirts with the “marsupial front pockets” are not only sweet, but the fabric and construction of her clothes give a very feminine feel without being too hippy….heck even my not-so-earthy -niece loves the skirts to death!

ummmm did you check out the pins!! i think i am going to have to borrow that idea!

probably one of the best things about the fest (and it being uber-croweded was NOT one of them, i get a little strange in crowds), was the awesome veggie-fuel powered shuttle that took to from the Green Business Conference to the convention.

hello! this thing needs to be in every city in the nation!! Not only did the (may i say hot!) driver play great music, but the seats line the sides of the bus and there is a “bus lounge” in the back…this is a must for anyone going next year.

number 2 for the great things about the show, as always, the organic beer and wine garden. my new fave people where there: MATEVEZA. this incredible brew i will post about later but they are a gem, delicious and refreshing! a must for the beer drinker. here are me and my gracious friend Kiiana (who allowed me to stay at her place and save loads of cash!) partaking in some of their brew.

see why i havent written in a while!

my friend Danielle and her girlfriend are helping to promote the bike movement in in Canada with their adorable shop Revolution Montreal.

always a big bike-enthusiast, Danielle brought her mad bike skills up north and started the store that also specializes in : lesbian haircuts! i guess because it works better for the helmet, right?

i love this sign. But what i really love about Revolution Montreal is that it is really taking advantage of the space they have! the concept is funky, original and i have to admit, the best marketing…are you ever going to forget about the lesbian haircut-bike store?

danielle is the bad-ass on the bike, they also have art shows too!

if you are even in the area, stop by and say hello for me!

as i may have already mentioned before, i am heading to San Francisco in November for the Green Festival & Green Business Conference, put on by the lovely people at Co-op America. This trip has been my “vacation” for the past 3 years and i am so excited about it!

being an independent business owner however (and green one) has put me in a bit of a situation of how i will be traveling there….do i fly (contributing to big-time air pollution for a trip a car could do pretty quickly & $$), or do i drive (with what car-i don’t have one, and i can’t afford the 6+ hours driving when i should be working…or better sleeping!)

well meet my new friend MEGA-BUS. this great service lines you up with bus tickets to major destinations in the US (& UK), the earlier you book, the cheaper it is…and guess how much mine was?

$ 11.50 that’s right, cheaper than what i would spend on gas for a few days! oh, yeah, this was round-trip too.

i save big-time $$, feel better about my carbon footprint, and get to listen to my iPod and read ReadyMade/ DWELL/trashy magazines to my heart’s content.

i will post about my experience starting November 6th!